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Reaction and Reactor Engineering 1

Module description

The design and operation of chemical reactors is at the core of Chemical Engineering. In this module you will apply the principles of chemical engineering to select appropriate reactors for specific reactions and conditions. You will be introduced to different types of reactions, such as homogeneous and heterogeneous, batch and continuous, single, parallel, and multiple reactions, and apply the concepts of conversion, selectivity and yield. You will also become familiar with different types of reactors, such as plug-flow and continuous stirred tank reactors. Catalytic reactions and reactors will also be covered, along with enzymatic or microbial reactions and their bioreactors. A practical investigation of reaction parameters and control systems will be undertaken in groups, using distillation, fluidised bed or bioreactors.

Module aims - intentions of the module

In this module you will gain a comprehensive understanding of different types of reactors, their design, and how to use computational tools for that effect. The concepts of mole balances, reaction rate, extents of reaction, conversion and yield will be covered first. You will then learn about different types of reactors, including batch reactors, plug flow reactors, continuous stirred tank reactors, and packed bed reactors. You will be able to apply reactor design equations for different types of reactors and different types of reactions and conditions, including catalytic reactions and reactors. As part of this module the various types of mixing technology available for different material reactants will be explored. Students will understand and be able to select from various methods of mixing for the most suitable reactor design.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Understand the key elements of reactor design and be able to choose a suitable reactor type for a given process. Students will be able to calculate reactor parameters such as yield, throughput and rate.
• 2. Understand the role reaction kinetics play in the way a chemical reaction proceeds, and how reactor design affects reaction properties such as rate and yield.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Understand the role of mixing in chemical engineering processes and determine what mixing system is required for a given reactor/process. Students will have an appreciation for the challenges of scaling reactor design.
• 4. Solve mass and energy balances for any given process.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Create linked and integrated solutions to complex problems.
• 6. Articulate complex ideas, and communicate them clearly, to be able to design experiments and carry them out, presenting results clearly and accurately in a lab report.
• 7. Function in team and independent working practices.

Syllabus plan

Introduction and reaction kinetics
- Reaction kinetics: reaction rate laws, order of reaction, half-life, activation energy
- Extent of reaction, conversion, yield and selectivity

Reactors
- Batch vs. continuous, general mole balances
- Batch reactors
- Continuous stirred tank reactors
- Plug flow reactors
- Packed bed reactors

Reactor design
- Uses and design equations
- Levenspiel plots
- Homogeneous and heterogeneous
- Isothermal and non-isothermal
- Steady and unsteady state
- Multiple reactions
- Distribution of residence times

Catalysis
- Catalytic reactions and reactors
- Biocatalysis and bioreactors

Computational design and simulation of reactors and reactions
- Students will be able to perform a simulation of a reactor using commercial reaction simulation software
- Students will compare the simulated data to data collected from lab-based experiments on a similar reactor.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Where a student fails part of the assessment on the module, but passes the module as a whole, the module will be deemed to have been passed, and referral will not be applicable. Reassessment will be by resubmission of the laboratory report for the coursework portion of the module (40%), and by written exam for the examined portion (40%). Re-assessment of the laboratory practical portion (20%) will be replaced by a short exam covering the practical material for reassessment. For referred candidates, the module mark will be capped at 40%. For deferred candidates, the module mark will be uncapped.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• G. Towler, R. Sinnott, Chemical Engineering Design – Principles, Practice and Economics of Plant and Process Design, Third Edition, Elsevier, 2022.
• E. L. Paul, V. A. Atiemo-Obeng, S. M. Kresta, Handbook of industrial mixing, Wiley, 2003.
• T. Dogu, G. Dogu, Fundamentals of Chemical Reactor Engineering: A Multi-Scale Approach, Wiley, 2021.
• D G Peacock, J.F. Richardson, Coulson & Richardson’s Chemical Engineering Volume 3: Chemical and Biochemical Reactors and Process Control, Elsevier, 1994.
• O. Levenspiel Chemical Reaction Engineering: An Introduction to the Design of Chemical Reactors, 2nd Edition, Wiley, 1974.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE

Key words search

Reactor Design, Mixing, Process Simulation, Instrumentation and Control